Oğuzhan Özyakup has signed a new two deal with Arsenal. The Dutchman had previously turned down two offers from the club, but Arsene Wenger stepped in to secure the 18-year-old’s services.
Özyakup had already opened talks with a number of European clubs, as his current contract was due to expire in July. However, after months of frustrating stalemate, Wenger stepped in to offer Oğuzhan the reassurances he wanted.
Agent Salvador de Mirande explained the turn around, which came after his client was promised a fair chance in pre-season to earn a first-team place.
“The probability Oğuzhan would stay at Arsenal a few weeks back was very small. We were very disappointed, but a lot happened in the meantime. “
“He wants to seize that opportunity. Oğuzhan still want to succeed at Arsenal.“
Özyakup new contracts runs until the summer of 2013.
WOW!!! AMAZING NEWS!
He’ll probably get a chance now or at least a short loan
Would of preferred for him to go tbh. Way to many midfielders at the club, and some who seem better. Hope this does’nt have an impact on Lansburys chances in pre season……
Lansbury will never have the same technical level as Ozzy. Ozzy is a national captain, very highly rated. Why this love of Lansbury?
I think lansbury offers something different to the arsenal first team, that is badly missing. If it comes down to straight competition for a place in the 1st team, I just hope it is decided fairly. If vela had been given half the chances walcott has had, he would be an excellent player by now.
What Lansbury offers is what the first team have lacked, and that is attitude. The guy is a fighter and a leader. That’s why people favour him over those that may be more technically gifted, but have little in the way of heart.
Yeah! Down with him! He`s not even english, and probably doesn`t even have a twitter account! :)
Is he ready for a place in the first team? I dont think so. Would rather prefer him to be loaned out to Feyernoord and get some game time
Not as unrealistic as it sounds, although there are other teams who would take him, like AZ, NEC and such teams.
we have partnership with Feyernoord
But you still have to offer them a player they need. Wijnaldum might be leaving, but otherwise they have a few talented CM’s, like Fer. Might like using Ozzy though.
What’s happening with Lansbury and Bartley. Do they both only have year left?
I didn’t know that Ozyakup was anywhere near the first team at the moment…. :S
So now we’re black-mailed by 18 years old and its fastly becoming a routine!
Good news. This guy looks class. I wonder how he’ll compare to toral though.
Not sure what to think. Can’t see this ending well tbh.
Who’s he gonna displace? Wilshere? Ramsey? Certainly not Cesc (if he stays) or Nasri (if he stays).
Then there’s Lansbury, who’s more deserving of a spot. Plus Aneke too. Unless he wants Diaby’s spot. :P
Just can’t see it happening. Even more worrying, why is Wenger offering an 18 year old opportunities at the first team?
I would suggest he is doing so because he would have anyway. This is the guy who discovered George Weah when your daddy was probably still in nappies. Leave it out.
And now Toral is in the mix, of which we promised hi first team route map within 2 years.
Bottleneck.
be honest as muh as it might get classified as blackmail i reckon some of these kids could ass a lil something here and there 2 our season when things feel flat e.g. what macheda did for man utd a couple years bk getting that vital goal keeping them in the reserves till they are 21 will only lead to us losing a lot of good youth players and the truth is we need a number of the crop coming through to break into the first team or else all the time and effort put into them won’t mean much if Wenger gives him a chance in pre season n he impresses he plays if he struggles no1 would need to explain 2 him y a loan or reserve football would be best. honestly i have hoped some of our kids could get a chance here and there because we’ve got a good few coming through bt they will find it easy 2 opt 2 leave especially the foreign players because they have left their natural environment, friends,family etc 2 come here and get into the first team and be a success but when they don’t feel they are gettin a chance they won’t find it 2 difficult 2 want 2 gain that elsewhere i reckon this happened with merida, lupoli and few others
“why is Wenger offering an 18 year old opportunities at the first team?”
I think that’s media spin on this kind of story. It’s not that players like Ozyakup are demanding regular starting places, but that they want to be reassured that they’ll get a chance – in training and pre-season – to show their merit. They want to hear from Wenger that he rates them and thinks there’s a good chance they might make it at Arsenal.
What’s the problem? He either breaks into the first team squad which means he’s a quality player, or worst case scenario is we sell him in two years for a bigger profit.
JS i know its nothing to do with youth players well clichy was.
But is it true clichy and nasri havent agreed contracts and will be sold?
Perhaps this hints at the fact a number of midfielders are going to be leaving, so Arsene will replace them with new signings and youngsters. Now is a great time to be at Arsenal if you want to break into the first team.
Christ I hope that all these players we’re signing means proper rotation, we could be such a force if we knew how to rotate a team.
Wenger must rate him very highly because I don’t think keeping him at Arsenal came cheap
hahastolze wrote:
Lansbury will never have the same technical level as Ozzy. Ozzy is a national captain, very highly rated. Why this love of Lansbury?
That’s just bull. And Lansbury is the former captain of the England U16’s, U17’s AND U19’s!
I don’t understand the complaints. The guy wants a chance to show that he’s ready for first team. Wenger agreed, so if Ozyakup shows he’s ready, great and if not then he goes back to the reserves with no complaints since he got a fair chance.
Henri Lansbury us one of the best midfielders in europe!
At 15 he was about to break through the arsena first team! lol
He had an illness and had injury problems and i think this year hes back to his best in terms of physically.
Always remever the under 17 tournament a few years.
3 players stood out a mile off Henri lansbury, eden hazard and bojan krkick!
The more competition, the more players wud give to the team to break into the team starting line up in the coming days. Its a win win situation.
I guess it explains a bit why Arshavin, Walcott n co. are underperforming.
Maybe these “first team opportunities” are similar to the ones that Henderson got this season, sitting on the bench and being around the squad rather than actually playing. There was also an interview with him not too long ago saying that he’d love to go out on loan to mimic Lansbury’s success, as he felt that his development could be modelled on Henri’s. To say that Wenger is bowing to blackmail is very naive, especially when he didn’t do so for Merida and was criticised for that. It would seem some fans are more interested in lambasting Wenger and the club than of the actual content/results of their actions.
I hope lansbury can make it. I saw him once and he was ok, but looked a little lazy.
I reckon wenger is keeping ozyakup because he has potential. also i think rosicky, fab, nasri, denilson and possibly arshavin will be off this summer. coming through will be frimpong, jet, afobe, lansbury and ozyakup. ramsey will effectively be new to the team after his long layoff
a big clear out and promotion for the younsters this summer
Good to see news like this. We have a good bunch of technical players, they just need a big character in the first team to bring them all through.
I think Wilshire and Ramsay in years to come will have influence over younger players, but we need someone instantly to come in and tell the kids how a footballer should be on and off the pitch.
Plz Arsenal do not sign Downing that guy is shit.
Any news or truth in Ricky Alvarez Jamie?
All these young midfielders are wasting their time..
Ramsey and Wilshere are pretty much the same age and no one is replacing them for the next 10 years!
I think the reason there is di much ‘love for lansbury’ is because he has something that not many of our players have and offers a different alternative as such,it’s nice to have a fabregas/nasri/ozyakup type of creative midfielder but when you have s hardworking energetic footballer like Henri who has alot more technical ability than some people give him credit for,then you need to be getting him part of the squad as soon as possible,the boy can be a star.I’ve mixed feelings about ozyakup,pleased he’s staying because he’s a top young footballer but where does he fit in?I’m a little worried it’s part of the build up to cesc and nasri leaving with denilson,rosicky and bendtner,one midfielder signing and him,Lansbury,frimpong and vela replacing them,I think our squad will be less experienced next season and we’ll have the wenger quotes of ‘we are a year more experienced’ ‘where do you expect me to fit an experienced international in when I have so many young players that deserve a chance’,worrying..
Hear the news? Zak Ansah signs prof contract with the Arsenal. Woot woot!
http://www.arsenal.com/news/reserves-news/zak-ansah-signs-professional-contract
Arsene Wenger didn’t buy any established player for six years in order to allow the development of the youth he had assembled. He gave them six years but won nothing. Now this crop of youth has become frustrated due to lack of silverware and wants to leave in search of a better shot at the trophy and Wenger is again buying young players.
I wonder where will it all stop! I have said it before and will it again: Neither buying expensive-established players is an answer nor reliance on youth players alone. The answer lies in a careful mix of youth with experience. We have enough youth now and need experience to break the deadlock.
this is good news.
if we are going to stay at the top we will need a conveyor belt youth system churning out top talent for the first team every year non stop.
there is constant churn in the first team squad, and spots will open up every year.
ramsey and wilshere are the only ones in ozzy’s position who are guaranteed to be here in 10 years. and we’ll need more than just these two.
Good news! I’ve been hoping he would sign a new contract, always heard nothing but class about it.
Now it”s time to Wenger to step in do the same with Nasri! He’s a tad bit more important…
people saying there’s no room for him because wilshere and ramsey will be blocking his path are being foolish.
ever heard of the need for strength in depth? you need 3 players for every position nowadays. there are injuries, suspensions, spells of bad form. players can be contract rebels, they can get stolen away. you need a nest of players for every position to stay strong.
the days of one player holding down a position to the exclusion of other players all season, year in year out, are OVER.
is ozzy replacement for denilson? lansbury fans need not to worry there are many places up for grab this summer, i believe rosicky is leaving and possibly eboue. if they play him out of position he should do the job and stop speaking to media to annoy the boss. although i am a bit worried about lack of trophies, it still a good feeling to see our youth’s hardwork paying off. than buying someone new who had no suffered at all. just the price tag gets him first team football. so unfair!
let him join a championship of premier league team first to prove himself. why let him join a dutch team to get game time when he can get it from a championship team.
Good news i am happy he signed i have been hoping that he sign, he remainds me of fabregas with his creative ability because he is a passer of the ball and has that killer pass similair to fabregas so who know he can be the next fabregas.
Great news, I think he’ll be playing in the Carling Cup next year, along with Lansbury and Frimpong.